On the Rainy River

On the Rainy River is just one chapter out of an entire novel by Tim O’Brien, yet we learn so much from it that it’s almost as if we don’t need the other 224 pages to get to know the man we meet the very first sentence.
What we learn from Tim O’Brien in just this one short chapter is of the life of one man. Living during the time of the Vietnam War, he is one of many men of his time being drafted. He is also one of the many men that truly believes that war is wrong and does nothing but destruct. When we first meet him, he is telling us his story; a story of shame, embarrassment, and eventually, pride.

When Tim O’Brien begins this chapter,his main character is looking back; reflecting on his experience. He tells us right off that his story is not one that he takes pride in. He tells us that he is even embarrassed to be sharing it with us. We know that specifically from his words, (pg. 39)
“Even now, I’ll admit, the story makes me squirm. For more than
twenty ...